Temptation
by Angel Ren
Summary: On a particularly sunny day in Forks, Edward is left at home while Bella goes to school. How much mischief can one vampire possibly find in an eight-hour period? One-shot


**Thank you, lovely beta Variety! I miss you BloodSucking Leech! But big, big thank you to Variety for being my substitute beta. She's fabulous!**

**By the way... this is my first fluffy piece from Edward's eyes. It was an interesting writing exercise, at any rate. **

**Temptation**

**By Ren**

Normally, I didn't mind sunny days. It just meant my family got to stay home. If we were away from people, we could go play and be ourselves. Emmett liked to race through the backwoods, and Rosalie liked to go swimming in one of the ponds sheltered by the trees. I'll admit; the effect of our skin in the water and in the sunlight at the same time was stunning. Diamonds danced around the trees sheltering our play deep in the forests.

Generally, if we were able to be discreet, we would spend the sunny days outdoors. It made us feel a little more human to play outside – until we caught sight of each other, glittering like a thousand suns, of course.

Other times, we would stay indoors. I might play the piano, or challenge Emmett to a game of _Need for Speed III._ It simply was just time. And time we had more than enough of. It was never a problem before.

But now, I was stuck at home… and Bella was at school.

I checked the clock obsessively. _8:57._Good. One hour had nearly elapsed. It had felt like twenty already. Every moment without Bella felt like agony. If only I could just see her…

The idea formed in my mind like a serpent coiling around its prey with unsurpassed skill.

"Edward, no," Alice said. I glanced across the room to her and watched as she stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.

I only shrugged in response. It was going to be Hell without Bella.

"I'll stay out of the sunlight," I offered hopefully.

_Really bad idea… I mean really. The sun is out today, you know. If someone sees you…_

The idea was flawless. No one would see me. I rolled my eyes in Alice's direction, indicating to her what I thought of her worries. Her eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, and then we both saw it:

_I saw myself_ _outside the school, hiding in the foliage. The sun was shining down as third hour was dismissed. I watched myself, and there, through the crowd of people, the Edward in the vision saw Bella leaving a building and heading for another. She clutched her books to her chest and ran hurriedly. Behind her, I – we both - saw Mike Newton trying to catch up. Mike Newton thought something; and the Edward in the vision growled. As a vision-watcher, I could not hear Mike Newton's thoughts, but it displeased the Edward in the vision._

_Irritated by whatever Mike had thought, I watched myself step away from the trees. Sunlight trickling through the trees was able to catch my – his - skin in places, scattering tiny spots of glitter, but no one seemed to notice._

_Bella glanced over her shoulder to Mike, and I heard her say, "I need to go, Mike, I'm going to be late." In her haste, she turned away from him and tried to walk faster – and tripped._

_The Edward in the vision wasn't thinking; his instinct took over for a half second and he stepped out into the full sunlight to catch her._

_Everyone noticed._

_Bella's eyes widened at the sight of me – him - and quickly grabbed Mike's head to turn his gaze away, attempting damage control. She couldn't, however, avert the eyes of every other one of the fifty students outside at that time._

I blinked at Alice in surprise.

"Do you see why you can't go? Bad idea," she said pointedly. I rolled my eyes.

"Since I know that it is going to happen, I'll avoid it. I'll be aware that, no matter what, I cannot step out into the sunlight," I replied. "I'm going to go see Bella, now."

Without another word, I flew up the steps to my bedroom and switched out my polo shirt for a long-sleeved t-shirt, just to be as safe as possible.

"Edward-" Alice cautioned as I flew past her and out the front door. Perhaps I should have listened to her. Alice was being uncharacteristically serious, but so was I. I needed to see Bella; time would creep by until I saw her again. If I could just see her…

I came to a stop in the wooded area around the parking lot. Instantly, my eyes were drawn to the large red truck sitting in a parking space. I smiled softly. It was second hour, and Bella had Government.

Careful to stay hidden in the shade behind the trees, I skirted the perimeter of Forks High until I got outside of Building Six. I moved in as close as I dared to with the sun glinting down from above. Once satisfied that I could not permit myself any closer to the exterior wall to the class that Bella was in, I settled down on the ground.

And I listened.

"And that is precisely why the legislation was passed. For that very reason, dissention still exists in the Senate today and furthermore-" I blocked out Mr. Jefferson's voice. I did _not_ want to listen to that lecture again. Instead, I turned my attention onto the thoughts of the people in the class. I hoped to see Bella in their thoughts.

_I want a nap…_

_Maybe I can get Mike to ask me out…_

_Spaghetti. Definitely spaghetti._

I chuckled softly; not one thought – that I could hear – was focused on Mr. Jefferson's lectures.

But then I saw what I needed.

_Bella looks tired._

In my mind, I could see the scene through his thoughts as he looked across the room at my beautiful Bella. _She had her chin propped up on her arm, her elbow propped up on the table, looking completely and utterly bored. Her face was smooth and devoid of emotion, though her eyebrows were raised almost in irritation. She stared at the board, but the way her beautiful eyes glazed over and her cherry red lips were pursed together, I could tell she was thinking about something else entirely._

I smiled softly, and then sighed as Joey turned his attention back on the teacher. He seemed to be the only one paying attention. Joey Walter; son of the man who owned the Thriftway. He was quiet, and was one of the few boys that had been polite to but not overbearingly interested in Bella. For that alone, I was aloofly fond of him.

"Miss Swan?" My interested peeked as Mr. Jefferson called on Bella.

"Yes?" I heard her sweet voice. I closed my eyes, imagining her startled eyes, a blush on her cheeks… I could picture every detail of her face.

"Did you hear what I said?"

In the silence that followed, I could picture the blush swarming her cheeks and her eyes widening. I could see her lips twitch as she fumbled for an answer. My poor, sweet Bella.

"The…uh… bill was passed, only after the House majority shifted, right?" I chuckled softly.

"Close enough, Ms. Swan. When the _Senate_ shifted, they tried again to get the bill through, and again it passed the House. The second time, it made it through the Senate, as well. Then-"

Again, I tuned out Mr. Jefferson. There were mostly groans going through people's minds at this point, and I was unable to see anything more of Bella.

I didn't have time to search for any more thoughts; the bell rang. Quickly, I moved deeper into the shelter of the woods, waiting and watching for Bella to leave building six to go to Trigonometry.

Gradually, students trickled out of the buildings, moving and laughing and mingling. Invariably, my eyes were drawn to Bella as she stepped out into the sunlight – she was impossible to miss. The sunlight reflected off of her brunette hair, casting a soft amber glow to it. Her eyes were lowered to the ground, her books clutched to her chest.

Every muscle in my body flinched toward her. I wanted to run to her, witnesses be damned. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and pull her against me.

I gripped the tree beside me to keep from doing something stupid – like stepping out into the sunlight. I chuckled softly as she tripped over a stick but caught herself. Coming upright, I noticed she was blushing, the soft pink hue caressing her cheeks in a manner that I wished I could. Ducking her head in embarrassment, she hurried to the building Trigonometry was in.

Once everyone had cleared out of the area, I carefully picked my way among the deep, dark trees. Unfortunately, I couldn't get as close this time; this building was further from the forest's encroaching edge. I had to settle among the shadows, too far away from her building to quite make out anything that was going on. Frustrated, I leaned back against a tree and started counting leaves.

23,428 leaves later, I heard the third hour bell ring. I jumped to my feet and moved to the edge of the trees to wait for Bella to come out of the building. Within a minute, I was rewarded. Like an angel with her beautiful halo of sunlight bouncing off of her mahogany head, she emerged, clutching her books to her chest. Her chin was tucked down and she was moving quickly.

_Edward's not here. I can _totally _ask her out._ My ears perked and I saw Mike Newton approaching her quickly from behind. I moved forward a little but, but froze when I remembered Alice's vision. Fighting every urge in my body, I forced myself to step back into the shadows.

"I need to go, Mike. I'm going to be late," she said. I closed my eyes, waiting. I knew what was going to happen, and I knew what would happen if I leaped out into the sunlight. I heard a shuffle, and opened my eyes to see what had happened. Bella was half on the ground, and Mike was holding her.

Rage and jealously flooded through me. I very nearly lost my cool. A loud crack brought me back to my senses, and I glanced to my left curiously.

The sapling I had been holding on to had snapped in half. I felt a flicker of a pang of guilt for the small tree, but when Mike tried to be chivalrous and help her up, I quickly forgot the plant.

I tossed the tree aside and paced the darkness of the trees, wishing so desperately for an excuse to run out there and maim him.

Lovely Bella; she disentangled herself from him as tactfully as possible, and with a duck of her head she was scurrying off to her next class. Mike stood stupefied in her wake before gathering his limited wits and moving on to his class.

Bella had almost reached the door to the building when she paused. Ever so slowly, she turned and peeked over her right shoulder, looking right at me. She couldn't see me in the shadows: her eyes moved around in my general vicinity, searching for something. _Looking for me_, I thought with pride rising in my chest.

Slowly then, she turned back away and entered the building.

"Okay, you had your fun, time to go," Alice hissed from behind me. Her cold hand clamped down on my shoulder as she dragged me back into the woods. It didn't take much effort to wretch free from her grasp, and I quickly turned to face her.

"What do you mean," I asked softly, my tone low indicating I had no intention of going anywhere. Bella was here. Therefore, I was going to stay here, as well.

"Edward, please," she murmured. "It's just not a good idea. I keep getting really bad visions; all different, yet all the same: you get spotted. Please, go anywhere but here. Can you imagine what it would do to Bella if we had to move?"

I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, not bothering to inhale again. Alice was right, and she knew it. If I were seen because I was being, perhaps a little ridiculous, I'd admit, it would complicate things drastically in our already unconventional relationship.

Our family would have to disappear; move away. Bella couldn't be able to come with us, but I could still sneak away at night to see her. She wouldn't be able to tell anyone that she was still seeing me, and everyone at school would assume she were single. Then-

"Agreed? Bad idea?" Alice prompted, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yes," I admitted begrudgingly. "Agreed."

"Anywhere else," she conceded.

"Her house. I'll see you later this evening," I said. I didn't wait for a response: I was sprinting through the woods, keeping to the shadows as I headed to her home.

It took me only a few seconds to come to a stop on the porch, and after pausing for a half second to check that Chief Swan was, in fact, not home, I unlocked the door with the key from under the eave, let myself in, and locked the door again.

Once inside, I stood in the doorway looking around. Of course I had been in Bella's house before. But I had always had a very real distraction: Bella.

Carefully, I stepped forward into the living room.

I smiled softly, looking at the rows of pictures of her. It was clear that Charlie was quite fond of his only daughter, and had kept her class photos while she was away with her mother.

In one picture, her eyes were bright and her hair was drawn up in pigtails. Her cheeks were round and chubby, a toothy grin staring out.

In the very next picture – she looked to be about ten – she was glaring at the camera in a way only Bella could manage. I laughed softly, slowly moving down the row of pictures, committing each one to memory.

Each picture, though different in stance, emotion and physique, was Bella. She was perfect in every way. Every shy smile, every scowl, every brow furrow and every toothless grin was priceless in its own way.

Slowly, I moved my way toward the kitchen, still thinking over the adorable school pictures. They were pictures I would never forget.

I looked around the kitchen, taking in the modest room. I was curious; what could I learn about Bella and her habits, simply from being in her home while she wasn't there? I felt a little bit guilty, but I knew that if I came to her house with her, I'd never look around. I'd only be with her.

Being in her house, too, helped ease the want for her presence. It made it a little easier to wait for her. A little.

I opened one of the cabinets and peered inside. Plain, white plates were stacked neatly inside, bowls resting inside each other, and glasses turned upside down. I closed the cabinet, and moved on to the next.

The cabinets proved to be of little interested: other than smelling slightly of Bella since she worked in the kitchen more than Charlie.

Curious about Bella's likes and dislikes, I pulled open the refrigerator door. In my anticipation of peering inside her food-storage, I forgot to check my strength.

I yanked on the door a little too sharply, and three of the eggs sitting in the door toppled out and smashed on the floor. Uttering a curse, I went to the sink and took a towel and started to clean up the mess. After closing the door carefully, I threw the towel in the sink. My aim was off slightly – I hit the bag of flour with the towel instead. Plumes of white powder burst into the air, showering the counter, sink and myself.

I stood there, growing slightly more frustrated with myself and my inability to handle general human tasks. I shook out my hair and wiped my face. After mopping up my second mess in five minutes, I carefully returned my cleaning supplies.

Ready to detangle myself from the kitchen, I quickly left the room and scooted to the bathroom to clean up. After getting a washcloth damp and brushing the flour off my clothes and dusting it out of my hair, I washed and dried my hands.

Afraid that I would do more unintentional damage, I slipped from the bathroom and meandered aimlessly through her house. Passing by the sofa and television, I found myself at the foot of the stairs.

Every fiber in my body told me it wasn't permissible to venture into a lady's room. It was how I had been raised. To do so, especially without her present, would be a disgrace to her.

However, had I not watched her sleep? Bella hadn't minded then. Besides. I was so very close to her while she was away.

Quietly, I moved up the stairs, careful not to disturb anything. Again. Her room was how it had always been; neat, practical but cozy. I moved in a lazy circle around the room, taking the time to take in everything that I didn't usually.

I glanced over the computer on her desk, the open closet door and the dresser. Her desk was neat and arranged. Other than the computer, there was a single notebook and a can of pens and pencils. Her closet was equally practical. Her clothing was arranged by type, and then size.

I felt a little guilty for looking over her closet, but had she closed the door, I would have respected it and left it closed. Averting my eyes from her clothes, I moved to her dresser.

There was a small, simple wooden box. With one finger, I lifted the lid, peeking inside. Bella didn't seem the type to have jewelry, and I was curious. What sort of jewelry _would_ Bella keep in a jewelry box?

The inside was nearly as equally sparse as her desk had been. There was a single, silver chain necklace with no pendant. Simple, elegant links. It fit her perfectly, though I'd never seen her wear it. She probably hadn't.

I realized that I was suddenly very interested in where this necklace chain came from, who had bought it for her, and why she refused to wear it.

The room was exquisite. I inhaled deeply, taking in her scent without the danger of her soft, fragile body nearby. As I set the lid closed gently on the jewelry box; I saw it.

Perhaps what had happened in the kitchen should have been an alert not to touch anything. But the scent of the strawberries called to me as sure as Bella's scent itself.

There, on the corner of the dresser was her little bathroom bag. Had it not been open, and had Bella's strawberry shampoo not been peeking out of it, I likely would not have paid it a second thought. But there it was, staring at me.

And like a fool stuck in a trance, I reached for it and carefully slipped it out of the bag. I tried to flip the top lid open with as little strength as possible, very careful and very much aware of what had happened in the kitchen.

When the human-like amount of strength I applied did not pop the top, I pushed a little hard. I frowned when the stubborn plastic still did not open. I checked to make sure I was opening it properly, and after ascertaining that I was not doing it incorrectly, I applied a bit more force.

As if the mortal plastic sensed eternal hands trying to pry it open, the top promptly snapped open – as it was supposed to do – but my hand around the base squeezed a little too tightly.

I set the bottle down gently and turned to look at my reflection in the mirror. Translucent red gel covered my hair, face, shoulders, chest and arms. I was going to smell like strawberries for quite some time, now. I capped the damned shampoo and put it back in her bag. After making sure that I hadn't made a mess on any of her things – just myself, it seemed – I scooted down the stairs and into the bathroom to clean up.

I should have realized that shampoo simply does not wipe off of one's clothing. Even with a damp wash cloth, the shampoo only lathered on my clothes and in my hair rather than washing off.

Frustrated, I checked the clock. It read eleven thirty. I had a few hours to work with. Charlie never came home before Bella, so I was sure I would be alright. Taking chances was not my prerogative today, so I would be as quick as possible. Covered in lathered shampoo, I did the only thing I could do.

I shut the door and jumped into Bella and Chief Swan's shower. I made quick work of the shower – the last thing I wanted was to get caught in Bella's shower. Especially by Chief Swan.

I wore my clothes so that I could get the shampoo off of my shirt. One the shirt was clean, I peeled it off, along with the rest of my clothes. I rinsed my hair and washed the remaining shampoo off my skin.

I shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Gathering up my damp clothes, I listened carefully. No sound. With as much dignity as I could muster, I hiked back up to Bella's room and jumped out her window, still carrying the clothes.

Running through the woods, I headed back to my house, praying to whatever gods would listen that I could make it to my room without being caught. Arriving outside, the sun sparkling off _all_ of my skin, I hesitated.

_Not the front door, Edward. Emmett's in the living room. Go in the back._

I made a note to thank Alice later as I darted around the back. Easing open the back door, I flew up the stairs to my bedroom and slammed the door. Never, ever before would I have thought I'd be sneaking into my own house in the buff.

Only that silly, beautiful Bella would have inadvertently caused me to lose my mind. I laughed softly, tossing my clothes onto the floor and running a hand through my damp hair. Only Bella. She would never know, though.

I quickly selected a nice clean pair of pants and a pressed shirt. I pulled on the pants and fixed the shirt, but after the third button, I wondered if it was too nice. Bella was just at school, maybe she would be intimidated by the niceness. Perhaps a more casual shirt would be better.

I unbuttoned the shirt and tossed it onto my sofa and tried on a long sleeved knit shirt this time. I stood in front of the mirror and turned sideways. Too casual? I ran my hand nervously through my hair. I had to think about the last time I seriously contemplated what I was going to wear. Oh, right. Yesterday.

Before Bella, I had never put much thought into what I was going to wear or how I looked. I simply hadn't cared. I glanced back to the button-up shirt on the bed. Maybe formal was the way to go. Leave a bigger impression.

I argued back and forth in my mind for quite some time, trying to decide which would be best. Finally, I settled on the long-sleeved, knit shirt. After checking my hair once and making sure my pants looked decent, I pulled on a dry pair of shoes.

"Alice?" I called, waiting patiently. On cue, she appeared in the doorway.

_Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you were streaking in the woods. Well, maybe Bella,_ she thought, winking at me. I just rolled my eyes.

"Alice, I need to know what the weather is going to do. Will-"

"There are clouds in Seattle right now. You'll be fine, if you leave now. Wait a half hour, and you'll miss them," she said, smiling. "Oh, and Edward? She'll love it."

I grinned at her and grabbed the Volvo keys.

"I don't know what I'm getting yet," I said.

"I know. But you will, when you see it. And she'll love it."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, jogging out the door, unable to stifle the grin.

I waited patiently in her rocking chair, as I had countless nights before. I folded my hands in my lap patiently to keep from tapping the smoothed, aged wood of the rocking chair. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, waiting.

Her truck was unmistakable. I heard her coming a half a mile away. The truck was that loud. I felt my lips curl up into a smile, but I did not move from my position. If my heart were still beating, it would be fluttering in anticipation.

Within the minute, I heard the front door click. I continued to listen, my eyes closed and head tilted upward. Her scent bloomed faintly – I knew it would become stronger when she came up to her bedroom.

I heard her move around in the kitchen, perhaps getting something ready to be prepared for dinner later. Her feet carried her across the living room, and then up the stairs. I couldn't stop my grin from widening.

It wasn't until I heard her gasp and the thud of her backpack on the floor that I opened my eyes.

I drank in her appearance, absorbing every detail – it had been far too long since I'd last seen her. Eight hours, actually. That was about eight hours too many.

She stood in the doorway, dressed in simple blue jeans and that beautiful blue sweater. Her chocolate-colored eyes were wide in surprised, her cherry-red lips parted in shock and her cheeks hued softly with a blush. I chuckled softly at her expression.

Then, I opened my arms to her. Faster than I would have predicted any human to be, she bounded across the room and collapsed in my lap. I folded my arms around her delicately, pressing my nose to her hair.

She pressed her nose into my chest, and I held her only as tightly as I dared to. Her scent was intoxicating and I inhaled deeply.

"So what did you do all day?" She asked, peering up at me. I stared down into her eyes, purely delighting in just seeing her again.

"Oh, just… thinking of you," I murmured softly. I pressed my lips against her neck, delighting in the feeling of her racing pulse. Her scent grew stronger, flowering around me like a devil's rose. Sweet temptation.

I leaned back away from her and peered down at her blushing face.

"How was school," I asked quietly. Her blush deepened, and when she didn't respond, I continued. "Are you alright?" I watched, transfixed as her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean," she asked after a moment.

"You fell. Mike Newton tried to save you," I pointed out quietly. Her lovely eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"You _were_ there! I _thought _I felt you!"

"Guilty," I admitted with a chuckle, but I quickly became more serious. "You felt me?"

Her blush quickly reddened more and she averted her gaze uncomfortably. I waited, trying to be patient.

"I… yeah. It sounds silly. But as I was walking to the building… I just had this… this _feeling_… that you were there. That's all," she whispered softly, embarrassed.

"Oh, Bella," I murmured, completely swept away by the slip of a girl in my lap. Again. Without warning, I leaned down, caught her chin delicately in my hand and turned her to face me. I kissed her softly on the lips, pleased as her heart tripped over itself in cadence.

I pulled back before she could attack me and pull me closer. Her gaze was glazed over, and she had a far-off look on her features. I chuckled again and kissed her forehead.

"Sweet Bella," I whispered in her ear. I was perfectly content to just sit there and hold her. To just exist in her presence was an incredible feeling. But I had an agenda…

"Bella," I asked after a moment?

"Mm?" Her response wasn't particularly verbose, but it got the message across.

"Do you have a silver chain I could borrow? Just temporarily?"

She raised her head to look at me. Intelligent Bella had suspicion written all over her face.

"Since when did you need to borrow anything? The way you drive, you could make it to freaking Canada and back in three hours," she explained. My eyes widened in surprise. It was just a coincidence. She didn't really know, did she?

I just calmed my face and smiled at her.

"Please?" I asked quietly. I watched as her gaze glazed over again, the blush fanning across her cheeks.

"Sure… anything…" I watched as she stood up and stumbled slightly, a bit disoriented. I reached to catch her, but she steadied herself.

I didn't take my gaze off of her as she walked to her dresser. I even held my breath as she opened the small wooden box. As predicted, she gasped, and stared inside. Her reaction was still ambiguous.

"Edward, what is…" She trailed off, lifting the dainty chain out of her box. There, on the once-empty chain rested an apple-shaped sterling silver pendant. It was from Tiffany's, of course. But she would never know that. I had had just enough time to drive to British Columbia and visit the Tiffany's store in Vancouver.

As she held it out, it caught the light, flashes of light running along its tapered, slender edges.

"Well," I asked at last, unable to wait for her response. She turned to look at me, her jaw nearly on the floor.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "It must have cost a fortune."

"Not at all," I replied, pleased with her reaction.

"I don't suppose you went to Target, or anything, did you?"

I grinned in response.

"Something like that," I answered casually. "Will you wear it? Just once, if you like, so I can see it on you? Especially with that sweater?" I nodded to her.

Bella glanced down to the dangling pendant on her chain and wordlessly, she obliged me, looping it around her neck and hooking the clasp carefully. She adjusted the chain and set the clasp on her back.

The silver looked stunning against her skin, especially framed by the deep blue of her sweater. Slowly, I rose to my feet and walked to her.

"It's almost as beautiful as you," I murmured, causing her heart to stutter again. I took her hands gently, and led her over to the mirror. I stepped behind her and turned her to face it.

"Edward… I… thank you. It really is beautiful," she murmured, reaching up to touch it softly. "But why an apple," she asked, turning around to face me.

I lowered my lips to her forehead and kissed her softly. Her scent thickened as she blushed and her heart accelerated. I felt my own reaction kick in, but I quickly suppressed it.

I pressed my lips to her cheek, and then to her throat. I leaned down further and placed a dangerously low kiss on the pendant itself, resting just below her collarbone. I felt her suck in air.

I trailed kisses up her collarbone and neck, pausing to linger at her earlobe.

"Temptation," I whispered in her ear. Her body shivered lightly in my arms as I pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her lips. Carefully, as if she knew the bounds to which she was confined, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling herself closer.

Sweet innocence.

Sweet Bella.

Sweet temptation.

"Edward? I smell… strawberries."

**And yes, the necklace really is a Tiffany's piece. And there is a Tiffany's in Vancouver. I did my research. ;) Thanks guys!**


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